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The Commoner
VOL.'2i?5OTr2
12
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A Formidable Educational "Boom"
Culture usod to "hum" around Boston in
times past; now the deslro for It Is soon to
"boom," not only In Now England, but through
out tho country. During the last six years the
number of collogo students has incroased from
187,000 to 294,000. Mr. Julius H. Barnes,
Chairman of tho Institute for Public Service,
haB put his statistics into a prophetic form that
positively causes alarm. But tho past six years'
rato of increase, whore shall wo bo in. 1960?
Institutions do not grow naturally by such leaps
and bounds as must bo predicted from tho
present phenomena. In 1950 a proportionate
growth would bring us 1,138,000 in 210 Insti
tutions whore 294,000 were enrolled last year.
"Whore will tho monoy come from to educate
those larger groups?'' ho asks. Afternoon and
night classes at colleges and extension classes
away from colleges, ho thinks, would ease off
somo of tho demands made upon the institu
tions. Horo are somo little problems more multi
plication worked out by Mr. Barnes and given
to tho proBs:
"Tho Bix-yoar increase since 1914 Is equal
to eighteen institutions tho size of Columbia
Jn 1914, or 100 collogos the size of Vassar.
Taking tho lowor estimate for 1950, it means
finding facilities ovor three times tho total for
1920, at six or sovon times the salary cost; it
means adding 644,000 students or 200 colleges
tho size of Yale last year, sixty universities the
size of California, 400 colleges the size of
Oberlin, ovor 1,000 colleges the size of Williams,
1,400 collogos tEe sizo of Bryn Mawr. Even
if these 210 colleges arrango t6 advance to
1,138,000 they will have reached only a small
fraction of high-school graduates. . . .
"Of 210 institutions only fourtoon had fewer
students than six years ago, losing, all told,
668 students, of which Hunter College, New
York City, lost 108; Ohio University, Athens,
126, and Yale 81. In numbers the largest in
crease in six years was by the College of the
'City of New York, 0,800; University of Cali
fornia, 6,200; Boston University, 4,700. The
smallest increase in any of tho largest public
universities was 855 by Mississippi and 750
&y Cornell.
"In percentage growth twenty-eight insti
tutions more than doubled Sweet Brier led
with 334 per cent. Boston University came next
with 333 per cent; Union, 324 per cent; Col
lege of tho City of New York, 283 per cent;
University of Azizona, 1:43 per cent; Delaware,
State, 188 per cent."
The problem which confronts the country,
says Mr. Barnes, has to do with "an attitude
toward higher education which requires a far
more extensive development of facilities than
educational statesmanship of either public or
private institutions has heretofore felt safe in
proposing and promoting." But tho money
question which we saw last week as so acute
in Germany as to make necessary the closing
of certain ancient universities, will, in less de
gree, however affect us. Mr. Barnes asks:
"Will the money come from taxation, en
dowment, private gifts, and larger fees? Will
some plan of deferred payments bo found by
which students, out of graduation earnings, will
pay the full cost of educating themselves? Where
will tho throngs bo housed? Must present uni
versities grow or more universities be built?
Will higher education bo taken to or near all
persons who have the ability and the ambition
tor it through junior collogos and extension
courses, or will college education be denied to
those who can not afford to leave home and work
while acquiring it? Is there any way to divert
a larger part of this flood of young Americans
seeking higher education into teaching where
a shortage threatens even higher education it
self? What, if any, racial changes must be
made in purpose and requirements? These and
similar questions can not bo answered until em
ployers, parents, and educators of youths desir
ing higher education havo thoroughly discussed
them, To stimulate such discussion is the pur
, pose' of this discussion upon which we are in
yiting comment and proposals by educational
leaders."
Dr. Prank Crane, while not altogether
facetious, suggests solutions that, mnv ifA ";
' mU(;11 ia1?01106 by current politics. In the New
$ York Globe he writes: ew
, "This presents tho most intorostw m,i
g of all problems. For tho most important
crop wo raise is men and women, and the most
important thing in relation to thorn is thoir
training.
"Must the increase in schools depend upon
private benevolence? Will the Btate and nation
feel the obligation to make suitable appropria
tions for educational facilities? Or will this
throng of youth havo to be denied and sent
back homo?
"One solution may commend itself to the
politician. If we maintain our splendid isola
tion and refuse to combine with other coun
tries in a pact to prevent war, we are liable at
any time to be plunged into a conflict like the
one wo have recently passed through. Thus
we can solve our difficulty by slaughtering our
surplus youth.
"On the other hand, if we keep out of war
GROWTH OP 35 LARGE UNIVERSITIES, PUBLIC
. .AND PRIVATE, EXCLUDING SUMMER AND
EXTENSION STUDENTS, 1914-1920,
ESTIMATED FOR 1950
.Based Upon Returns from 210 Colleges and Uni
versities to Institute for Public Service,
Julius H. Barnes, Chairman
Inc. Pred'ted
Regrlstor Over No. in
Publicly Supported 1919-20 1913-14 1950
University of California .... 11,893 0,213 42,958
College of tho City of Now
TT York 9,071 6,767 42,871
University of Michigan 8,560 3,040 23,760
Un voraity of Illinois 8,549 3,425 25,674
Universty of Minnesota ... . 8,275 4,537 30,955
University of Wisconsin ... . 7,294 2,608 20,334
Ohio State University 7,023 3,194 22,983
Un versity of Washington .. 5,958 3,148 21,698
Universty of Nebraska ... . 5,286 2,147 16,026
Ln versity of Louisiana ... . 4,933 2,264 16,253
Un vers ty of Texas 4,418 1,927 14 053
University of Missouri 4.222 855 8!497
Pennsylvania State College. 4;i94 1,454 11,464
Iowa State Callage 4,034 1 575 11 909
EHy,rSuy ifan,sas .:' 5589 1.262 9,850
University of Cincinnati . . . 3,513 1,512 11 070
Oregon State Col, of Agrl-
culture 8.442 1863 12 7K7
Kansas State Col. of Agri- ' 7
culture 2 961 304 4 480
University of Oklahoma .... 2,'608 1,600 lOJOlO
aWSY of Colorado 2,096 835 6 270
Statd1 College of Washington 2,037 868 6 380
' PRIVATELY SUPPORTED
TmSe 9'144 2'210 20194
North western UniVoVsity::: 6)585 I'Ml llfll
5SSS?lvan!a 6'449 2705 S
n, -6'082 4'677 29472
Cornell 5f7G5 '750 g 51
Harvard 4 5373 inn? inSftQ-
8SS.l?SS,IBSffii-U l :'l
?bU"::::::::::::::: 8H III $J
W:.::::::::::::::::::::: yg
and quit preparing for w"ar, we can easily save
money enough to provide lor our children "
Certain looked-for economic changes are re-tion-n
etroit News to meet the situa
te 4,J?JISrtmttGr 0t crease3 when one stops
to think of it, enrollment in educational in
stitutions is not exceptional. Since 1914 many
other things have increasedtaxes and wages
and exports and the wearing of silk shirts
and general prosperity and the leisure of peo
ple who never had leisure before.
"Over in I&msas, surrounded by wheat
Jlelds, is a little town called Olathe. The Tfarm
erjboya and girls who graduated from the S3
trict schools found in tho higUchool at Olathe
an opportunity for higher education. Of late
the institution has become especially popular
wilrS menachle erowtn in L?oUment
which Mr. Barnes observes. But the boy" and
girls no longer trudge in from the country or
do they ride down on the farm-wagon Thta
year a ruling of the Olathe board of education
forbade the parking of cars in the streets S
the vicinity of the high school. The automobiles
in which the farm boys and girls drive tJ Sri ?
were interfering with traffic n the MgKSS
and had to be assigned to a special pSn
pla,in the rear of th building. Parking
fo thing ithat has haPPeed in Olathe af-
fects the whole country and accounts for fL
condition which is worrying Mr Barnes Bu?
It would hardly be logical because a boV who
S2?got? tBeafs; n 1914 to''$ & twS
years gets ?5 a day to argue that in six von
more schoolboys will be demanding five times
as much as today, or $25 for their; daily wage.
There are probably limits to the growth of -some
things. And it is also pretty safe to. predict
that when it .becomes harder to buy automo
biles, soft clothing, and college education, only
those will have these things who are willing to
toil earnestly and long for them 'and to suffer
some very real hardships before they .win out
It may be then that present educational in
stitutions will tako care of tho crowds "as in
former days." Literary Digest.
THE CHRIST-UKE UTTERANCE OF A GREAT
CHRISTIAN
(R. R. Claridge, in Monthly News. Bulletin of
Texas Agricultural Department.)
The man who recently gave utterance to tho
following is still in bad with the place-hunting,
time-serving politicians. He iB not very strong
with the two-by-four editors who exhibits their
their real Bmart lack of sense by making fun of
him in the small-type columns of the daily
papers. But there Is still plenty of room for him
in the hearts of millions of American people,
who love him for the enemies he" makes. His
name is William Jennings Bryan, whose great
ness belongs to the whole wide world; and here
Is what he recently said:
"War arouses all the brute in man and a flood
of passion drowns all kindly feeling. War creates
a profession that perfects itself into a science.
War creates standards of honor as false as those
which supported duelling. War teaches that re
venge is a virtue and retaliation a patriotic duty.
"Those who are enriched by war propagate the
most absurd theories, for what could be more
absurd than the theory studiously spread abroad
in the world for a generation tharpreparedness
prevents war? This theory could never appeal
to any but militarists and munition makers.
"Now that these blood-stained doctrines have
been refuted by tho most awful of wars, the
world, groaning under burdens too grievous to be
borne, may be willing to accept brotherhood as
the only hope of peace, as well as the only escape
from bankruptcy.
"Were the scribes of old any worse than the
profiteers of today, who steal from the provision
basket and rob the wardrobe? Were they any
worse than the business men whose policy of
poisoning for profit made pure food laws neces
sary? Were they any worse than tho employers,
who but Xor the law would coin the lives of little
children into larger dividends? Were they any
wore 9ian the men who Pder the wheat fields
of the land by depressing prices just before har
vest time?
"All dealings between man and man are either
brotherly or brutal. There is no middle ground.
One may be a very weak brother or a very feeble
brute, but each person is consciously or un
consciously controlled by the sympathetic spirit
of brotherhood or hunts for spoil with the sav
age hunger of the beast of prey." J
)
ONE YEAR UNDER FEDERAL CONSTITU
TIONAL PROHIBITION oxV
tionaliSi16' I290' ConstutIonal Prohibi
ts0 Prohibition .became effective throughout
f wUUed fteB' u waa indee a stable evert
MB Xuld o? ah,Undred milIlons ot free
zens snould of their own election prohibit the
manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors
of men? """' Waa unPrecGnted in the annSu
A year ago the liquor interests of America
were defeated, but still are defiant They gatS
eJfln "jgnense war chest of a billion dollars
to defeat the operation of National ProhihitTnn
The war against sobriety woe curled f K? ?
popular arena into that of the courts SStiwS
tion was attacked from every angta of vTsion In
all courts up to the very hiirW? Ji i ? 5
passed. But the flght fa hv SS J!nea has beea
ever, it is unK
order forces have the Hmil ct? K, e law and
hand at the p?En moment tha?btte.,ll
Nineteen twenty-oneh?r?fl 5?? n evqr l)Gf. '
enforcement officials be adS StS0uW our ,aw
with funds for thWk to bSS ? y A8uMHtted
in American history The 52SgJ?e d uiesfc year
yond question tb'ttePa
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